Steelers Take Kenny Pickett, First QB Off Board in 2022 NFL Draft

The former Panthers quarterback will play his professional football in the same stadium he’s played in for the last five years in college.

The Steelers took the first quarterback of the 2022 NFL draft, and he doesn’t have to go too far to suit up for his professional team.

The Steelers selected Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick of the first round. Pickett played his college football home games at Heinz Field, and he’ll now suit up as a professional in the same venue that he’s come to know so well as a collegiate student-athlete.

It was a long wait for Pickett on draft night, as 19 picks passed by prior to his selection. But as indicated by his house party in New Jersey, the phone call was well worth the wait.

Kenny Pickett is a Pittsburgh Steeler

The moment he gets the call and finds out he’s being selected with the 20th overall pick in the #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/Zk38Gi2Ey9

— Johnny McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) April 29, 2022

As ESPN’s Pete Thamel points out, it’s hard to imagine that an NFL team knows a player better than the Steelers know Pickett.

The Steelers and Pitt football actually share a facility. Like the same building/practice fields and parking lots. Hard to imagine a team that could know a player better than the Steelers know Pickett.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 29, 2022

Pickett enjoyed a meteoric rise up draft boards after turning in a career-year in his final season as Pitt’s quarterback.

He became one of the best quarterbacks in the sport last season after completing 67.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. It was the fifth-year senior’s best season with the Panthers, as he had never thrown for more than 13 touchdowns in his previous four years with the school.

Now, despite questions regarding his hand size and ability to throw the football in the cold weather at the next level, he’ll remain in the same climate he’s played in for the last five years, as he becomes Pittsburgh’s quarterback of the future.

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